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Grub4DosConfig HELP

This document is for Grub4DosConfig version 1.0

Contents

  1. What is Grub4Dos?
  2. Installing Grub4Dos
  3. Bootup menu
  4. Editing 'menu.lst'

1.What is Grub4Dos?

Grub is well known as a bootup loader for Linux and other operating systems. Puppy Linux is ever using Grub as the bootup loader as well as Syslinux(for floppy disks and for USB flash memories). But there is a difficulty for beginners to apply. Grub requires ext2/ext3 file system, which is special for Linux. Grub4Dos has compatibility with Grub and has a remarkable feature. It can be installed on NTFS/FAT filesystems which are more common on Windows preinstalled PC's.

Online resources

2.Installing Grub4Dos

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Where to install?

'Boot Record' is the space on a hard disk drive(HDD) special for storing bootup code. 'MBR(Master Boot Record)' is the one of the 1st HDD, usually 'sda' or 'hda'. To install on MBR is common way. But you can install Grub4Dos on another drive. Note that the order of the HDD can be differ between that Puppy recognizes and that BIOS/Grub4Dos recognizes at bootup stage. This issue will be discussed on another section of this document.

Maybe it is more safe way if you install Grub4Dos on a USB flash memory drive rather than internal HDD. Note that this way is usable only in case your PC has the ability of booting up from USB drive and you know the BIOS settings to enable it.

If your PC has a floppy disk drive and is able to bootup from it, make a bootup floppy which is Grub4Dos installed. New disk is preferable. You can also use a used disk, but the data on the disk will be all erased. Before you use the floppy disk, make sure there are no important files on it.

What are installed?

Grub4Dos installs 3 components. One is the Boot Record and other 2 is normal files, 'grldr' and 'menu.lst'. 'grldr' and 'menu.lst' is usually installed on the 1st partition of the target HDD.

Not to install Boot Record?

The existing MBR may have (the code kicking) 'ntldr' which starts up Windows. If so and you like to use this existing MBR, tick "Do not rewrite existing Boot Record". In this case, only 'grldr' and 'menu.lst' will be installed. You may need configure to chain 'grldr' from MBR. For example, if you use 'ntldr', add the entry which chain to 'grldr' in 'boot.ini'. See Grub4dos Guide - Loading/Installing Grub4dos.

In other case the boot record was over written by other than Grub4Dos, you may like to recover Grub4Dos using old 'menu.lst'. Tick "Do not rewrite 'menu.lst'" in this case.

The Boot Record is always installed in case a floppy disk is the target.

3.Bootup menu

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Editing menu

Grub4DosConfig searches in the internal HDD and connected external HDD and lists up installed Puppy's and other Linux operating systems.

You can rewrite the string in the boxes which will be showed in the menu at bootup. Fill it with blank if you like to remove the item from the bootup menu.

These 2 is only you can do as for this dialog. You cannot add new item nor arrange the order here. You can directly edit the 'menu.lst' after install finished.

Windows menu

Three items of Windows menu are displayed here no matter they are installed or not. Clear the item if you do not need bootup corresponding Windows.

Here again you cannot change the order. For example, if you like to bootup Windows XP only, replace the column 'Windows Vista/2008/7' with blank, rewrite 'Windows NT/2000/XP' as 'Windows XP' and blank instead of 'Windows 9x/Me'.

Leave these 3 as they are in case you install Grub4Dos on floppies or on USB devices. Because they might be useful with other PC's.

Duplicated folder names

If you make folders of same name, even they are on different disk drives or partitions, it must confuse the loader and fails the bootup as the result. Change names of the folders if the error noted. Then restart Grub4DosConfig.

4.Editing 'menu.lst'

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Refer to Grub4dos Guide - Configuration File Entries for the detail of writing 'menu.lst'.

What case we need editing?

Grub4DosConfig produce 'menu.lst' automatically. But you might need editing 'menu.lst' in case Puppy is full installed. In case Puppy is frugal installed and other operating systems are only Windows, probably you can use the automatically produced 'menu.lst' with no problem.

Full installed systems

There is a trap in booting up full installed Puppy and/or other Linux OS. You need to specify the partition of the Linux kernel('vmlinuz') and the position of the root file system. The previous is direction to the Grub4Dos at the bootup process and the latter is direction to the Linux kernel.

The trap is:
Drives which Grub4Dos recognizes and the drives the Linux kernel recognizes are not always the same. Moreover, those current running Puppy recognizes might differ from them.

In most case, the first HDD is called '(hd0)' by Grub4Dos and 'sda' by (Puppy)Linux. The first partition is called '(hd0,0)' by Grub4Dos and 'sda1' by (Puppy)Linux. But 'sda' can be 'hda'. And the others may be more complex.

You may need to rewrite 'hd(0,0)' to 'hd(1,0)', or '/dev/sda1' to '/dev/hda1' on the 'menu.lst'

Looking up existing 'menu.lst'

The old 'menu.list' must be exist if Grub4Dos or Grub was installed. They may be at top('/'), '/boot' or '/boot/grub' directory. They can be renamed such as like 'menu-2009-08-12-144950.lst'. If exists, you can copy entries from the old 'menu.list'.

Adding bootup options(parameters)(both Frugal/Full install)

Produced 'menu.lst' has normal boot options. You can add another options like 'acpi=off'.

Grub4DosConfig adds 'pmedia=usbflash' or 'pmedia=usbhd' option in case the drive is connected to USB interface. Rewrite them if they are wrong.

Listing order

You can change the order of the menu items. Cut the lines from the 'title'-line to the line before the next 'title'-line, and paste them to proper position. The default item is defined at the 'default'-line. the top item is numbered as '0', next is '1' and so on.

That's all. Take care!
Sep 2009 Shinobar

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